Donohue Doesn't Get It

I was saddened to read conservative Catholic watchdog Bill Donohue’s intemperate outburst concerning President Obama’s invitation to be commencement speaker at Notre Dame this May.

“There has never been an abortion he didn’t like,” blustered Donohue. This is a disgusting parody of Obama’s official position. In fact, Obama has said that although he personally has misgivings about the procedure, he fears that a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions, as they had once done in this country. That’s hardly a ringing endorsement.Donohue might be taken seriously if he didn’t resort to exasperatingly cheap rhetorical tricks to make his point.

Attempting to portray the Commander in Chief as a sort of enthusiastic abortionist is reprehensible. Only Donahue’s fellow extremists could actually believe this – but their whacked out rhetoric alienates the general public, who would rather have a serious conversation about the issue than be ranted with bumper sticker slogans.

Perhaps you’ve seen the South Park episode where Donohue has both Jesus and the Pope arrested for going against the official teachings of the Church? Whilst Donohue wags his finger without a shred of restraint – or, frankly, accuracy – he is destined to be consigned to the ranks of late night cable shouting heads, sealing his own fate and influencing no one else’s.

That he actually thinks Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame will hurt the president's standing (and that of the university itself) shows just how out of touch he has already become.